Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Speaking at Citizens Bank Park two days after the San Francisco Giants eliminated his team from the playoffs, Werth said he would consider returning to the Phillies in 2011 and beyond, but is also willing to go through the free agency process.

"I've had the best time the last four years playing baseball with these guys, with these fans," he said. "The team has taken the necessary steps to create a winning atmosphere, and hopefully they'll continue to do that. Obviously, we know business is good in Philadelphia. They could probably sign whoever they want. Whether or not that's me, we'll have to wait and see."

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the team would like to keep their middle-of-the-order hitter. And he has room in the budget, depending on the cost.

"I haven't had any discussions with Scott [Boras] yet," Amaro said. "Over the next 48 hours or so, we'll make contact. I guess the follow-up question is, 'Do we have enough money to do it, and would we like to bring him back?' The answer to both questions is yes. However, that'll all kind of depend on what the ask is, and ultimately how that will affect us with other possible moves we would have to make to do that."

Werth, who earned $7.5 million in 2010, hired Boras during the season, and the super-agent has a reputation for taking a hard-line stance in negotiations. Part of Werth's decision may be the seven-year, $120-million contract Boras struck with the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Matt Holliday -- a similar player to Werth -- last winter.

The good news is, it looks like he might be available for consideration by the Dodgers. The bad news is, only at prices that would make even Andruw Jones weep.

Indeed, I'm not. I don't really trust offensive numbers coming out of Philly any more than Texas or Colorado, and I don't want to have Aaron Rowand, Part Deux patrolling the outfield. I think Werth is a nice little player, but not for the cashish he's going to command.